2026 Dogwood Trail
Theme The theme of the 62nd Annual Dogwood Trail is "Bloom Bright Paducah." This theme celebrates the colors of the flowering trees and reminds the public to light up and showcase their Dogwood trees.
Dates The 2026 Dogwood Trail dates are April 6 through April 19 or while blooms are still bright. The CBB believes this two-week period will give everyone, residents and visitors, a chance to experience the trail at its peak. Those along the Dogwood Trail are asked to keep their trees lit for the entire two weeks of the official trail dates. The self-guided tour will be available on the Paducah Dogwood Trail Facebook page when the trail begins.
Judging and Awards Members of the Civic Beautification Board will judge the dogwood trees on Sunday, April 5 along the route. With homeowner coordination, they will place signs and banners in the yards of the winners. An awards ceremony for the Dogwood Trail winners will be 5 p.m. at the May 12 meeting of the Paducah Board of Commissioners at Paducah City Hall (300 South 5th Street). A reception will be at 4:30 p.m. at City Hall.
Kick-off Celebration - Trolley Rides - Follow the Trolley Parade The will be a Dogwood Trail Kickoff Celebration in front of Paducah City Hall (300 South 5th Street) with refreshments and welcome remarks at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, April 6. There will be trolley rides available. The trolley rides are $1 per person and are first come, first served. A Paducah Ambassador will be on the trolley providing historical narrative of the Dogwood Trail. Please note that South 5th Street will be closed between Washington and Clark streets for the event. New this year is the "Follow the Trolley" parade. Participants are encouraged to decorate their vehicles, tune into the self-guided audio tour that will be available and follow the trolley. The self-guided audio tour allows everyone in the parade to enjoy hearing the history of Paducah neighborhoods as told by the Paducah Ambassadors on the trolley all while taking in the views of the lighted dogwoods. The first 10 cars in the parade will receive window flags for their cars.
Trail Features and Map The trail features miles of dogwoods and spring plantings. While the trees are in bloom, there will be Dogwood Trail signs strategically located at each turn in the Trail. The tour showcases Dogwood, Japanese Maple, Red Bud, and Weeping Cherry trees as well as blooming garden areas and other flowering species. This is a daytime or nighttime trail as many homeowners use lighting to showcase their beautiful trees and shrubbery. Neighborhoods also are encouraged to show their patriotism by flying the U.S. flag. Be sure to notice the trail signs and the banners along Jefferson Street featuring artwork by former Civic Beautification Board Chair Carol Vanderboegh.
New this year, the CBB will be marking the original Paducah Dogwood Trail on Sycamore Street with dogwood bloom decals to create a walking trail through Wallace Park that everyone can enjoy at their leisure.
2026 Dogwood Trail Map
Pick up a paper map at any of the following locations:
- Paducah Convention & Visitors Bureau, 128 Broadway Street
- Paducah City Hall, 300 S. 5th Street
- Whitehaven Welcome Center, 1845 Lone Oak Road
Self-guided Tour The CBB is providing a self-guided audio tour of the trail (coming soon) with a narrated history of some of Paducah's oldest neighborhoods given by the Paducah Ambassadors.
Master Gardeners Presentation Learn about dogwoods at the McCracken County Extension Master Gardeners presentation. Carol Ullerich will lead a presentation called "Discovering Dogwoods" at the McCracken County Extension Service Building (2025 New Holt Road) on Monday, April 6 from 10 until 11 a.m.
2026 Dogwood Trail Bicycle Ride The 2026 Dogwood Trail Bicycle Ride with BikeWorld will take place Sunday, April 12 beginning at 2:30 p.m. with riders leaving from BikeWorld, 809 Joe Clifton Drive. Please wear a bike helmet. This FREE annual event, which has been held more than 30 years, allows riders to enjoy a leisurely ride through several of Paducah's beautiful neighborhoods and then back to BikeWorld. The course is approximately 11 miles with opportunities for riders to adjust the distance from a few blocks to a few miles to suit their wishes. Bicyclists share streets with car traffic and are responsible for obeying traffic laws. The streets are mostly residential, marked, and well signed with “Bike Route Today” notices. BikeWorld staff will ride the route on bikes to assist as needed. Children should be accompanied by responsible adults. If you have a question, contact BikeWorld at 270-442-0751. At the end of the ride, BikeWorld hosts a southern style "dinner on the grounds." If the Dogwood Trail Ride cannot be held April 12, the rain date is April 19 at 2:30 p.m.
Contact Information
If you have a question about the Dogwood Trail, email Paducah Civic Beautification.
Visit Paducah Dogwood Trail on Facebook.
History and Local Legacy
The lighting of the dogwood trail in Paducah became a tradition in April 1964 when the Civic Beautification Board began the tradition of touring Paducah in bloom at night. In 1964 when Dolly McNutt, chair of the Civic Beautification Board, visited Knoxville, Tennessee, she was taken by the beauty of Knoxville's lighted dogwoods. When she returned to Paducah, she persuaded members of the CBB that sponsoring a lighted dogwood trail would benefit Paducah. The first trail was two blocks long along Sycamore in Paducah's west end. The tour now is several miles in length showcasing Dogwood, Japanese Maple, Red Bud, and Weeping Cherry trees as well as blooming garden areas and other flowering species.
In 2000, the Library of Congress accepted the Lighted Dogwood Trail as a Local Legacy. The goal of the Local Legacy project was to document the creative arts, crafts, and customs representing community life across the nation. The Lighted Dogwood Trail is permanently documented in the Library's American Folklife Center collections. Members of Congress in every state submitted materials documenting nearly 1300 local customs and traditions. The Lighted Dogwood Trail was submitted by then Rep. Ed Whitfield (1st District). Luxury Travel Magazine included Paducah Dogwood Trail's 50th Anniversary Celebration among top Spring Flower Festivals Across America in 2014. Birds & Blooms listed the Trail as one of the 8 Must-See Flower Festivals for 2018.
For more information about the history of the Paducah Dogwood Trail, please watch this four-minute video featuring former Paducah Civic Beautification Board member Mary Lynn Thompson.
Dogwood Trail and Contest Winners
| Year | Dogwood Trail Winners |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 2025 Dogwood Trail Winners |
| 2024 | 2024 Dogwood Trail Winners |
| 2023 | |
| 2022 | 2022 Dogwood Trail Winners |
| 2021 | 2021 Dogwood Trail Winners |
| 2020 |
As a show of unity during COVID-19, the Dogwood Trail prize money was donated to Community Kitchen. |
| 2019 | Dogwood Trail Winners for 2019 |
| 2018 |
Dogwood Trail Winners for 2018 Photography Contest Winners: Art Contest Winners: |
Lighting and Planting
Tips for lighting dogwoods, azaleas, and other spring flowers include
- Use low watt outdoor halogen bulb light sets
- Use weatherproof outdoor cords and connectors
To grow a dogwood
- Select a well-drained site with afternoon shade and plant a nursery grown tree.
- Plant in late winter or early spring.
- Dig planting hole twice the diameter of the rootball and at least 18 inches deep.
- Refill hole to depth of rootball with loose soil Tap soil to provide a firm base for tree.
- Place dogwood in hole, spread the roots, and pack soil around and over the roots.
- After planting, water and cover soil with mulch except at tree trunk
- Water weekly during dry periods. When watering, soak root area well. Do not drown trees planted in poorly drained soil.
